Predicting Weather
Clouds
Air Masses
Atmosphere
Air Pressure
100

A sudden shift in wind direction, drop in temperature, and pressure change often signal the arrival of this.

What is a cold front?

100

Thin, wispy clouds found high in the sky.

What are cirrus clouds?

100

A large body of air with similar temperature and humidity.

What is an air mass?

100

This layer of the atmosphere contains most weather and the majority of air mass movement.

What is the troposphere?

100

Air pressure decreases with increasing this variable.

What is altitude?

200

Falling air pressure usually means this type of weather is coming.

What is stormy or rainy weather?

200

Tall clouds that can produce thunderstorms.

What are cumulonimbus clouds?

200

This type of air mass is cold and dry.

What is continental polar (cP)?

200

This layer contains the ozone layer, which absorbs harmful ultraviolet radiation from the Sun.

What is the stratosphere?

200

This instrument measures atmospheric pressure and is key for forecasting.

What is a barometer?

300

If you observe cirrus clouds followed by altostratus and then steady rain, this type of front is likely moving in.

What is a warm front?

300

Flat, layered clouds that cover the sky like a blanket.

What are stratus clouds?

300

This type of air mass is warm and humid.

What is maritime tropical (mT)?

300

This layer experiences the coldest temperatures in Earth’s atmosphere.

What is the mesosphere?

300

This type of pressure system is associated with sinking air and diverging surface winds, causing fair weather.

What is a high-pressure system?

400

Long periods of clouds and light precipitation in the same area suggest this front is stalled overhead.

What is a stationary front?

400

Clouds form when this process turns water vapor into liquid droplets.

What is condensation?

400

Air masses are named using a two-part system that describes moisture source and this second factor.

What is temperature?

400

The location of the ionosphere. 

What is the thermosphere? 

400

The direction low-pressure systems move in the Northern Hemisphere.

What is counterclockwise? 

500

A weather system showing both widespread steady rain and sudden bursts of heavy precipitation likely involves this complex front type.

What is an occluded front?

500

If you observe rapidly growing cumulus clouds on a hot afternoon, this suggests what is likely to occur later in the day?

What is a thunderstorm?

500

A region experiences cool temperatures, cloudy skies, and light precipitation coming from the ocean. Identify the air mass.

What is maritime polar (mP)?

500

As altitude increases in the troposphere, temperature generally changes in this way.

What is it decreases?

500

The process that deflects moving air due to Earth's rotation.

What is the corioils effect? 

M
e
n
u